Sunday, March 30, 2014

I recently became Facebook pals with a guy I went to school with. Cool cat. Was one of the popular kids but never treated me like most the other popular kids did. However, he still at least semi keeps in touch with them through the Book of Face which struck against me the other day.
As I was looking through a list of the many likes he had on a post (still popular after all these years), I came across the name of one of my many bullies from the day. Now, many years ago I decided I was done caring about this people and what they had to say about me and with that came the honesty of saying that I was bullied. Not always an easy thing to say. I never said it through school and if my family reads this, it's probably the first they're hearing it. School was awful. I had friends literally tell me I wasn't cool enough to be friends with them anymore. I was called every name under the book for no apparent reason. I would fake sick at times just so I wouldn't have to face these people if only for a day. The worst part, though,m was likely basketball. I made the team all three years in junior high and made the JV team in high school. I was the very obvious, odd man out. I wasn't cool, just tall and loved the sport and the others couldn't get that. Every practice was filled with ridicule and torment. I was told by teammates and others alike that I didn't deserve to be there. Thankfully it was mostly all verbal throughout the years. There were some physical things as well but never anything to the degree of getting beat-up, just small hits and shoves and the likes.
So this name I came across on Book, he was there in jr high as part of all this and even after going to separate high schools, he and his friends were still throwing the word jabs when our schools played. For many years, I was just hoping that the myth called Karma would catch up to them all, especially him. So I clicked over to his page hoping to find a fat, balding man who was working on his third marriage. Instead I find a handsome, muscular, seemingly successful and happy man with an above average wife.
Of course.
I know it may make me look cruel, but I was a little hurt to see him doing so much better than myself. In one moment, I was sixteen again and wanting to curl up in bed, pretending to be sick. But I hope he is finally deserving of it all, I really do. As hard as it may be and as much as I still carry around all that hell I went through, I forgive him. I forgive them all. Whether they were products of other environments themselves or if they came to grow as people and changed their ways or if it's just that they don't deserve my attention in any capacity (this post kinds contradicts that though), I won't hold any hatred towards them. Their names may still cause me to shiver and they may be living better lives than I am but I won't regress myself to those levels.
I will, however, not be liking anything I see from them on Facebook.

Thursday, March 27, 2014

After saving Danger from the clutches of Nil (of Thief Guild fame), the team brings her aboard as the newest member and just in time. A new face in the billionaire league, Lemar Smaug (no relation to the dragon and yes, that connection was made in the comic), wants to meet with Serval CEO Harrison Snow. Snow believes this to be a meeting of him buying out Smaug but Smaug has the opposite in mind. As Snow brings in Factor to introduce, Danger throws a wrench into things as she informs everbody that she is not the only one who isn't human: Smaug has no readings of a human. Turns out that is because Smaug is really the Magus (of Technarchy fame). As the team begins to fight (and it was a pretty awesome fight), Magus is able to escape after bringing out his secret weapon: his son, Warlock (of New Mutants fame). Which distracts well enough because Technarchy ruling is based on father/son killing each other. Magus hates his son and wants him dead. Or does he? There's only one person to go to when you need absolute knowledge of Warlock: Doug Ramsey (of Douglock fame).
As it was with the old X-Factor, Davis has made this X-Factor one of Marvel's best reads in it's short lifespan. I mean, he makes me excited for Warlock and Ramsey. Who the hell could pull that off?! Peter David, that's who. All-New X-Factor will likely never be one of Marvel's best selling titles but it's worthy of it. Far more than many other titles that outsell it.
(Also, David is about to launch an all new Spider-Man 2099 series so at least Marvel realizes how dedicated his fanbase is)

Monday, March 24, 2014

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

-AS I EXPECTED, I CAN'T SPOIL ALONG WITH ANYONE TODAY EITHER-Wonder Woman #29 - King of AshesWritten by Brian AzzarelloDrawn by Cliff Chiang

I know that I end up harping my favorites a lot here but that's what happens when dealing with favorites: you tend to like them the best.
Last issue saw everybody (sans Hera), in one way or another, making their way to Olympus where we also saw First Born break free of his chains and go after Apollo. The issue ended with Apollo seemingly sacrificing himself in order to stop First Born from claiming the throne. This issue starts with two pages of Hera being struck by a green meteor (yes, just like in Meteor Man). We quickly leave to find Hermes and Moon finding the scent of Zeke and taking off. From them, we head to Wonder Woman and Cassandra as they crash their... giant plane craft is what I guess it is... on Olympus where they find themselves meeting up with Hermes and Moon. All are shocked to see it in ruins and First Born standing proud, fleshless. All try to stop him from taking the throne but it seems futile. Until Hera returns. Apollo's sacrifice also gave Hera back her Godhood and powers. She zaps them all out of there, returning them to Paradise Island. Being human and still protected by Wonder Woman has humbled her immensely and to try and apologize, she has changed all her sisters back from snakes (her mother's fate is not yet revealed). Wonder Woman has her army."Olympus lies in ruins, claimed by a mad god. Warriors, I ask you to join me in a fight to reclaim heaven. Follow me... Not as your princess... But as the God of War!"
Azzarello has said that his run is coming to an end with this war for Olympus that has been building the whole time and as sad as I am to see him go, I'm certainly excited to see his ending to it. Two and a half years later, he has continued to make Wonder Woman the best book DC is publishing. It's taking chances and reaching for new stories and giving it a voice that makes it stand over all the others. I can only hope that DC is smart enough to put Azzarello on another book after this run because this is a talent that is too damn good to not utilize.

Friday, March 14, 2014

Elizabeth Olsen
Ever wonder what the Olsen Twins would look like if they stayed sober and were hot? Well no need to because we have their little sister, Elizabeth Olsen. After watching the American remake of Oldboy (much better than I was lead to believe but nowhere near as good as the original) and getting some good shots of her skin-bubbles, I am even more excited to see her as Scarlet Witch in Avengers 2.

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

All-New X-Factor #4
Nil's secret weapon has been released and she/it is pretty pissed at him. Danger is let loose as she tries to kill Nil and anyone in her way. As Factor does it's best to slow her down, it's difficult when she can just load herself into any machine. Thankfully, a well placed kiss from Gambit opens up a few memories and she stops just in time to join the new X-Factor (and it's Gambit so a kiss makes sense in this instance).

All-New X-Men #24 ("All-New" is the new, hip thing)
Part 5 of the Trial of Jean Grey finally gives us some action to join Brian Bendis' dialogue. After J'Son stops the trial of Young Jean long enough for her to escape, Gladiator and the Shi'ar warriors square of with the Guardians and the X-Men, thinking they're behind it. Before too long, Young Jean shows back up, claiming that she is, in fact, guilty for the crimes of the Phoenix that she hasn't actually committed yet.

Witchblade #173

Sara Pazzini has been suspended from work after the last debacle and isn't taking it sitting down but before she go the verbal rounds with her ass of a boss, the Angelus lands down and she wants the other part of the Witchblade that Sara has. Not much actually happened in this issue but with Marz back on the book, it's been a good read so far.

Hawkeye #17
What a load of crap this was. We have a filler issue that is nothing more than a tv episode from an older issue that Clint was watching. It had nothing to do with either Hawkeyes or their stories and was nothing more that an attempt to let David Aja catch up on his art. Good or bad issue, I feel cheated with this one.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #32
Fighting abound as the Turtles are finally all back together and taking on Koya and the Foot's assassins. This issue was pretty much just awesome fighting. After Mikey flies in on a motorcycle and nailing Koya, Leo approaches. Instead of taking the killing strike, he pulls out a star and says within an hour, Koya will die. He can continue fighting or live. He chooses wisely. The whole gang leaves Northhampton, with Splinter saying it "time to stop running". I can't tell you just how great it is to have such an amazing TMNT book again.

Justice League of America #13
DC makes me hate them more and more. We think Stargirl has rescued everybody and it turns out that nothing from the last five issues happened and she's been in her own mind prison the whole time. Only she was able to escape because she realized it. The League is still trapped and she did nothing but retain some personal growth. Horse-shit. $24 worth of horse-shit.

Thursday, March 6, 2014

Mark Millar is getting back to his MillarWorld titles (Again. For now) with what I describe as Gran Torino meets John Carter. Duke McQueen has lived a long life. His wife just died, his two sons are trying to avoid him and the inter-dimensional adventures he had many years ago have found him once more. Not much happens in this issue but it's a great, solid start to what should hopefully be another amazing Millar series.

Earth 2 #21
Tom Taylor hits his first speed bump as new writer in an issue that does extremely little to progress the story. Evil Superman lasers an arm off Atom and them knocks him out with it. Everybody yells at Batman for wanting the new Kryptonian to stop Superman and Superman finds out about the Kryptonian. That's about it.

Forever Evil #6
The Fate of Nightwing! Only not really. As Batman and the Badguys find Nightwing, they find that he has a bomb attached that can only be disarmed if his heart stops. Luthor obliges and "kills" him by covering his airways. As Batan begins to beat him for it, Luthor tries to plead that it's not over. Over with the Crime Syndicate, their hooded prisoner is finally revealed to be Alexander Luthor (I assume from their Earth 3) and we find that he isn't so nice either as he kills Johnny Quick and steals his powers after calling "MAZAHS!" and gaining the power of the Dark Lightning. He claims he'll be the only hero this place needs.

Jupiter's Legacy #4
We get a little more history as to how the first group got their powers. Mostly, though, we get modern times as we see "heroes in hiding" and their son as they lat low in Australia. Honestly, there's been such time gaps that I'm not sure who these people are anymore. Another I'll have to reread once it's good and caught up instead of trying every four months to remember.

Captain America #18

Cap and Falcon have to fight SHIELD Agents that have been taken over by Mindbubble's mind bubbles. As they try to reach a secret SHIELD location (Cap's getting tired of their secrets, kinda like a certain movie that's coming up) and is brought up by Jet on MB's origin. Ex-SHIELD who has Cap's serum and lots of LSD. Worse over is that once you get in his bubbles, you either die in 'em or you kill yourself to not die in 'em cuz you're his forever. As Cap reaches the location, it turns out to be a Helicarrier the size of a cityand he now has to wonder what SHIELD is willing to do in order to make sure it doesn't fall into the hands of a crazy like Mindbubble.